I am searching for the parents and siblings of a John BARR and his wife Martha. He was b. abt 1818 Pennsylvania d. 1869 Livingston Co., Illinois. He married Martha WALTER abt 1840 in Pennsylvania. She was b. 24 Feb 1817 in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. She died 5 Feb 1898 Iroquois Co., Illinois. There are so many Barr's in Pennsylvania, especially those named John, I am stuck. Any help appreciated. Joan in California

I think that this may be your John Barr and family: 1850 Cranberry twp, Butler, Pa census John Barr, 32, Pa Martha, 31, Pa Mary Jane, 8, daughter Julian, 5, duaghter John Henry, 2, son William, 23 Elizabeth, 67 Note: All of the above were born in Pa according to the census. I presume that Elizabeth is John and William's mother. If so, it appears that she was married to a William Barr (born 1770 - 1780) who is in the 1810 - 1840 Cranberry censuses (the only Barr in Cranberry with a wife who would fit Elizabeth's age and he must have died in the 1840's as he is no longer there by 1850 (look for his grave in Cranberry? I think Elizabeth dies in the 1850's as she has disappeared by 1860.) William Barr may have been a son (or a brother) of a John Barr, who is in the earlier censuses of what became Cranberry twp. _________________ 1860 Jefferson twp, Adams county, Ohio census John Barr, 42 Martha, 41 Mary J., 18 Julia A., 15 John H., 12 William, 9 Martha E., 6, born Ohio Sarah B.(Bell or Belle), 3, born Ohio (married William Shrum in Illinois sometime in the 1870's but he is divorced in the 1900 census. ______________________ 1870 Illinois census Martha Barr, widow, 51, born New Jersey Julia, 23, John H., 21 William, 18 Sarah B., 13 Medora, 9 Note: now that Martha is filling out her own census return (or at least giving the information to the census-taker, she states that she was born in New Jersey) ____________________ 1880 Illinois census finds Sarah Belle is married to William Shrum. She is listed as 'Bell'. Enumerated with them is Bell's sister, Dora (presumably Medora) Barr, age 20. ____________________ 1880 Miami, Clermont, Ohio census Martha Barr, 65, widow, born in New Jersey of New Jersey-born parents. John, 32, son, born Ohio (not correct - born in Pa) So, of the children: Mary Jane, Julia Ann, John Henry, and William were all born in Pennsylvania. Martha E., Sarah Bell(e) and Medora (Dora) were all born in Ohio (from 1854 - 1861). I am guessing that John's mother Elizabeth died sometime between 1850 and 1854 therefore and is probably buried with her husband in Cranberry twp, Butler county, Pa. Prior to 1800 Cranberry twp was a part of Connoquenessing twp which was a part of Allegheny county, Pa. Hope this gives you a few new leads, Sue